Leveling device for photographic cameras.



F. D. ANDERSON. LEVELl-NG DEVICE FOR PHOTOGRAPHC CAMERAS.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.2s,1915.

1,167,93? Pai-euted Jan. 11, 191B.

J0 J1 J2 10 9 if i i. with the liquid levels now usually employed,

amen sra'rns Parana FREDERICK D. ANDERSON, 01? DENVER, CGLORADO,ASSIGNUR T0 .NSCO (ill-HPANY, 0F BINGHAMTQN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OFNEW ZIOBK.

LEVELING DEVICE FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMEEAS.'

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. ii

Application filed August 25, 1915. Serial No, 17,330.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK D. ANDER- SON, a citizen of theUnite'dStates, and a resident of the city and county oit Denver andState of Colorado, have, invented a new and useful Leveling Device forPhoto; graphic Cameras, oi which the following is a specification.

It is the purpose of this invention to pro vide .a device whereby aphotographer, whether skilled or not, may quickly, accurately and easilylevel his camera' at the time of an exposure. T he device is universalinits lev'eling action, inexpensive and so simple in its construction andmethod of operation, that it will maintain its serviceabilityindefinitely, which is not the case for they are liable to fracture, andowing to evapo ration, or other escape of their liquid, -intime becomeinoperative.

Broadly stated, my new leveling device acts upon the principle of agravity acting plumb bob.

In the drawings hereof, Figure 1 is'a sidewise elevation of a finderembodying the invention, the hood being elevated; Fig. 2 is a sidewiseview similar to Fig. 1, the hood and co-acting parts being shown insection, the body of the finder being in elevation; Fig. .5 is a frontview similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts in the position they occupywhen the camera is properly leveled; Fig. 4 4-4. of Fig. 3,

is a plan .view on the line looking in the direction or the arrow; Fig.5 1s a horizontal sectional in any preferred manner.

view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig.

In the drawings 1 represents the body of the finder supported in theinstance shown upon a bracket or standard 2.

3 is the finder lens casing, 4 (see Fig. 2) the mirror, 5 theobservation plate, 6 the hood, which is pivoted at 7, 7, to the body 1The hood, which ,I prefer to make of metal, comprises two side pieces 8,8, and a back 9, and in the back is preferably made a closed recess 10,which may be and preferably is formed by stamping a projection inthemetal of the hood. I prefer to supply the recess with an opening 11(see Figs. 2 and 5) covering which is a glass plate 12 secured in anypreferred manner. The opening in the back of the recess 10 and theinterior glass plate are not essential because-the rear wall or the"upper wall of the recess, depending upon whether the hood is closed oropen, may be solid, if preferred. U

l3 is a piece of metal preferably, but not necessarily triangular inshape, which is pivoted at let to the upper part of the closed back ofthe hood. The engagement or bearing of the triangular piece 13 upon. thepivot 14- is exceedingly loose, so that the triangular piece willinstantly respond under the action of gravity, to any divergence from ahorizontal positlon oi the camera, so that a pointer 15, which maybeneficially be formed on the lower edge of the triangle, co-acting witha fixed mark or index 16 on the inside of the hood (see Fig. 3), will atonce indicate whether the-camera is truly level or there be anydivergence therefrom.

In order that the back of the hood when it is elevated may be as nearlyas possiblev in a truly vertical line, it is provided at its lower edgewith a flange 16, (see Figs. 2 and 4c) which resting against theadjacent surface of the finder proper, acts as stop to determine the.degree at which the finder may be opened.

It will be noted that the action of the parts asthus far explainedresembles that of a gravity acting plumb bob and that it indicateswhether or not the camera is level, but only in a right and leftdirection, al-

though this same device will also, with-all horizontally extendingindicator (see Fig.

4) 17, with the forward end of which the point 15 on the triangularswinging part 13 may be made to register. In order, however, that theforward and rearward leveling of the camera may be secured with greaterexactness I prefer to cut out from the center of the triangular piece13, a separate or supplemental plumb bob 18 (see Figs. 3 and 5) whidh ispivoted, as at 19, to the part 13 in such? manner that its oscillationsshall be forwardly and rearwardly, whereas the oscillations of the part13 are, as stated above, to the right and left, and

the construction is such that when the surparts, then the camera will belevel front and rear. so that the coinlnnation of these twoinstrui'nents, the right and left swinging plumb hob and the forwardlyand rearwardly swinging supplemental plumb bob, will secure the accurateleveling of the camera in all directions, the device operating as auniversally acting level.

in order that the two swinging plumb bobs may not interfere with theforward closing ofthe hood of the finder, I make the engagementbetweenthe plumb bob 13 proper and the 'pivot 14 such that although the plumbbob may freely swing without any friction or binding whatever to rightand left, its movements forwardly and rearwardly will be limited so thatwhen the hood is tipped forw rdly and downwardly, the plumb bob will notso change its position as to interfere, and in order that thesupplemental plumb bob 18 may be similarly limited in its movements, 1provide it With two little late ally extending Wings or fingers 19 (seeFigs. 3 and 5) which are set so far to the rear as not to interfere withthe desired movements of the supplemental part but will prevent its toogreat forward swing.

it will be understood by those who are familiar with such matters thatvarious changes may be made in the details of construction. and methodof combining the parts, that is to say, as suggested above, it unnecessay that there shall'be any glass plate in the recess 10 made in the hood,but- I. prefer that construction because thereby the plumb bobs aresomewhat illuminatedand their action more readily observed; also it isnot absolutely necessary that there shall be any recess whatever. Allthat is necessary will be to olfset the main plumb bob from the back ofthe hood sufiiciently to permit the desired swinging movements of theparts. Also obviously the shape of the phnnbhob, or the plumb bobs, ifmore than one be used, may be such as preferred, and the special methodof their pivoting to the adjacent parts may be varied and a singlepluinlii bob, if desired, may be eriiployed, and obviously its shape andspecial c0nstruction may be such as preferred. Furthern'iore, a gravityacting device similar to or peril'orming the same function as the plumbbobs referred to need not necessarily be inclosed within the hood, butit is especially advantageous to have them located there and thatfeature forms an iunvortant but not an essential part of my invention,because if so, when the finder not in use and the hood closed down,thesc parts, which are necessarily somewhat delicate in theirconstruction, are housed within and pro tected against injury by thehood, and ultsl) during the finding operation they will, if locatedwithin the hood, be in the most con venientplace for convenientobservation by the operator in conjunction with the finding of the imageupon the observation glass 5.

. I claim:

1. In a finder a gravity acting camera leveling device pivotallyconnected to the interior of the hood of the finder.

2. In a finder a gravity acting-camera lev cling device so pivotallyconnected to the hood of the finder that it will afford no obstructionto the closing of the hood.

In a finder a hood provided with a stop to determine the extent to whichthe hood may be opened and a gravity acting camera leveling devicepivoted near the swinging edge of the hood.

r. In a finder, a hood, a primary gravity acting camera leveling devicepivotally connected to the hood and adapted to right and leftoscillation and a supplemental gravity acting camera leveling devicepivotally connected to the primary leveling device and adapted toforward and rearward oscillation.

5. In a finder, a hood having a recess in its back, a primary gravityacting camera leveling device pivoted to the hood in front of the recessand adapted to right and left scillation and a siiipplemental gravityacting camera leveling device pivoted to the primary leveling device andadapted to forward and rearward oscillation.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this spec-if :ation.

FREDERICK D. A NDERSON.

